My Interview with Frank Viola

Frank Viola is a constructive and disruptive (in a good way) voice in American church. He is a strong advocate for the renewing of authentic organic expressions of the church. Of course he is most well known for this book and then this one. In these books, he forces all of us to think through the assumptions behind what we are doing as we live our lives as the church of Jesus Christ. This exercise of deconstructing our assumptions about church, and uncovering the historical sources of these assumptions, is a worthy one. Frank is good at it – especially being provocative while doing it (wink, wink).  And so I greatly appreciate Frank.
This is why I was honored that Frank, a practitioner and writer with a large audience, would ask a theology professor at a little seminary (but great Missional seminary!!) in Chicago, and a co-pastor of a church under 200 people, to answer some questions and engage in a dialogue. Frank posted his interview with me today on his blog over here. I look forward to further dialogue!

David Fitch

David Fitch (Ph.D) is a longtime pastor in Chicago, and the B. R. Lindner Chair of Evangelical Theology at Northern Seminary. He teaches on the issues the local church must face in mission including cultural engagement, leadership, and theology. He's written multiple books, including Faithful Presence: Seven Disciplines that Shape the Church for Mission (2016), and the forthcoming 2024 release, entitled Reckoning With Power: Why the Church Fails When it's on the Wrong Side of Power (Brazos, Jan 2024). You can find him on Facebook, Twitter, and Substack.